Improved snow-plow for railways



T.L.SHA w. m Railroad Snow- Plow.

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f THoMAsL. SHAW, or OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

Letters Patent No. 97,971,-'dated December V14, 1869.

IMPROVED SNOW-PLOW FOR RAILWAYS. i

The Schedule referred to iu these Letters Patent and making part 0f the Eame- `To all -wh'om it may concern VBe it known that I, THOMAS L, SHAW, of Omaha, in the county of Douglas, and State of Nebraska, have invented a new and improved Snow-Plow and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description oftheconstruction and operation of thc same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a partof this specification,y

in which-V Figure 1 is a side elevation; Figure 2, a transverse vertical section, taken just in front of the toggle-levers; and

Figure 3 is a detached view of the divided pinion on the engine-axle. This invention relates to a snow-plow for a 4locomotive-engine, which takes up a load of snow, is then borne back out of the cut by the engine, and dumps its load when arrived at a clear space. v y

The inventionconsi'sts of a double-leafed plow, constructed s o as to dump its load to each side; the framework of saidplow being pivoted, transversely ofV its truck,'in such a manner that it may be made to as- 4 sume a horizontal posture after having, in its inclined position, been forced into a iicld or drift of snow, and

i thus take up a load and support it while the engine is i running back, the leaves of the plow being connected` by a two-branched cord or chain,passing over a pulley placed in the top of a pillar above the door of the plow-truck, with a windlass beneath such. floor, said windlass being iixed upon a shaft, bearing, near one end, a cog-wheel, and sustained at that end in a sliding box, in suoli manner that the cog-wheel may be slid into gear with a toothed pinion on the front axle 'of the locomotive, audthereil'om derive the motion requisite tolift, by means of said chain or cord, the two leaves of the plow, and thus cause them to dump their load; the toothed pinion on the locomotive-axle ,being made in two pieces, connected by bolts, and capable of being removed from one axle, and fixed upon another.

' to each upper corner of the frame B, and atits lower extremity, to the truck A vertically beneath. n

Bars 'bf connect the central joints of the togglelevers `with wrist-pins in the side of the toothed wheel C, iu such a manuel', that by rotating the f crank-whee1 O in the proper direction, which crankwheel is suitably connected by shafts, and gearing witlrthe wheel C, the toggle-levers b b may be straightened out, or drawn together, thus lowering the upper end of the plow-frame, and drawing the latter froman inclined posture to a horizontal one, or the reverse. n

The former operation is performed when it is desired to take up a load of snow uponv the shovel, preparatory to running the engine back, for the purpose of delivering such load in a clear-space. f

rlhe plow-frame B `sustains two leaves, B B', of'

sheet-metal, suitably braced and stayed, and hinged at their outer sides tothe outer sides of the frame,

the leaves being of suiicient width to wholly cover the frame.

On arriving at the ,clear space before spoken of, the leaves are lifted,'in order to dump their load. Such lifting is eected by a two-branched cord, d, fastened at its lower end to handles d d', projecting downward, one from the inner and upper corner of each.

leaf B.

lhe cord d or chain passes over a sheave, d, in the top el' the pillar e, fixed in the truck-door. The cord runs thence through the truck-floor, and is fastened, at its other extremity, to a windlass, h', on a shaft, h, placed transversely of the plow-truck, and sustained at its ends in boxes h", aflixed to the under surfaces of the side-beams of such truck.

One ofthe boxes It" has slots in it, by means of to the adjustability ot' the shaft, may be thrown into orout of gear with the. toothed pinion t of the locon motive-axle I.

A hand-lever, k, is the instrument by which to move the shaft h.

When the engine is running back, and the wheels h fi are thrown into gear, the cord d is wound around the windlass h', and brings a strain upon the handles d', which at once lifts the leaves B', and causes them to dump their load.

The load discharged, and the wheels thrown out of gear, the leaves fall cf their own weight.

The toothed pinion t' is made in two parts, as show in iig. 3, each part having a flange upon it,through which to pass the connecting-bolts. Thus the pinion may be readily taken oli' from one axle and fixed upon another, at pleasure.

The necessity of placing a pinion on each locomotive forward axle is thus obviated.

.Having thus described my invention,

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The pivoted plow-frame B, toggle-levers b b, Ah., and lever k, combined and arranged substantially connecting-bars b', and rotating disk C7 all constructed as described. and arranged substantially as and for the purpose set To the above specification of my invention, I have forth. signed my hand, this 12th day of October, 1869.

2. The means hex'einrdesoribed of operating the THOMAS L. SHAW. leaves B B through the agency of the locomotive- Witnesses: Wheels, substantially as and to the end specified. Y CEAS. A. PETTIT,

3. lhe divided pinion i, toothed wheel h', shafts I l S. O. KEMON. 

